I parted my lips slightly, unsure how to respond. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead from anxiety and embarrassment, while a trace of doubt slowly crept into the girls’ eyes.
What should I do? How could I keep up the lie? If this got me suspected—or worse, exposed…
Just then, Xiao Qingqing’s voice floated over: “She’s from our school’s Special Excellence Class. That’s why you haven’t seen her.”
The Special Excellence Class was a program for exceptionally gifted students. How special? No fixed classroom. No daily classes. These students didn’t need gaokao scores or diplomas to prove themselves. Some collaborated with professors on research, filed patents, wrote bestsellers, or filmed movies and TV series…
In short, though still high schoolers in age, they already possessed elite-level talent across fields. The school tailored special programs to nurture them further.
I had to admire Xiao Qingqing’s quick wit—her reply was perfectly timed, saving me.
(Though, honestly, she’d caused this whole mess…)
“Wow, really?!” The girls instantly accepted it, eyes sparkling with admiration. “No wonder we’ve never seen her—an elite from the Special Excellence Class!”
“Each student has a unique talent. Yours must be performing arts, right, big sis?”
“Zhang Zhirong, the queen of pop, graduated from our Special Excellence Class! Maybe we’ll get another superstar!”
“Group photo! Let’s take one together!”
Without waiting, they sandwiched me in, phones raised for selfies.
I could only force a smile and play along.
Xiao Qingqing rescued me again: “That’s enough. I have matters to attend to with Xixi. Please don’t keep us.”
“Sorry for bothering you!”
Clearly familiar with the student council president—and her icy reputation—the girls showed quiet apprehension.
The trouble seemed over. We walked to the school gate uninterrupted. Boys glanced my way from afar, but it was just innocent admiration for a cute girl.
Until *he* appeared.
Tall, athletic, drenched in sweat in his soccer team tracksuit, hauling an unopened case of mineral water—fresh from buying drinks for practice.
Li Xiaoyao. Soccer prodigy. Trained daily after school and weekends. Dream: save Chinese soccer, conquer the world.
Huh?! Why *now*?!
Li Xiaoyao spotted me instantly. His gaze locked on me like a magnet—intense, unwavering.
No way! We’ve been bros since middle school! Don’t look at me like I’m some tasty prey!
But he didn’t just stare—he moved. Set down the water, quickened his pace straight toward me.
He was gonna hit on me!
I knew his type: clingy as glue. Rejected a hundred times? Still wouldn’t quit. Unless…
…He’d shifted targets.
To *me*, in this girl’s uniform.
I vividly remembered: replaying my performance clips during breaks, scrolling fan news, even setting my concert screenshot as his phone wallpaper—a total simp.
Bad news! I couldn’t let my own bro hit on me in front of *her*!
But Xiao Qingqing stood right beside me. Without her permission, I wouldn’t dare run. And with my slight frame? No chance outrunning soccer-star Li Xiaoyao.
Just as he closed in—a sleek black limousine glided silently before me. The door opened. A hoarse, elderly voice: “My apologies, young miss. Terrible traffic today.”
“It’s fine, Grandpa Cheng,” Xiao Qingqing replied calmly, sliding into the backseat.
I snapped awake and scrambled in after her.
The car sped off, leaving Li Xiaoyao behind. In the rearview mirror, his disappointed eyes, lips moving silently—like he was trying to say something.
Oh no… was he *smitten*—?
Smitten, my ass! Who gets smitten with their own bro?!
From the driver’s seat, the silver-haired man spoke slowly: “Young miss, may I ask who this young lady is…?”
“My junior. She’ll tutor Ke’er in math at home,” Xiao Qingqing said evenly. “Xixi, outside, call me *senior*—especially around my sister. Understood?”
Of course I understood. This devilish girl just wanted to hide her sadistic side and keep up her icy-perfect image.
Meaning: privately, I was her pet and slave. Publicly? A polite facade.
…Which somehow felt *slightly* better.
Yeah, right! Why must I be dominated and “trained” by her?!
Thoughts aside, I lacked the guts to defy her. She held too many cards: the loan shark, Wang Bili, penalty fees, photos of me in a girls’ bathroom in this uniform…
Even now, I endured the humiliation of wearing this uniform to tutor an elementary girl I’d never met.
*Sigh.* Hope her sister’s not as nasty. Pure tutoring? I could handle that.
Xiao Qingqing stayed silent the whole ride. I didn’t dare speak. The car glided into an upscale villa district and halted before a grand estate—not a cramped townhouse, but a sprawling courtyard home. In land-scarce Donghai City? Easily ten million yuan+.
Little rich girl, indeed. If not for her cruel personality… I’d almost consider chasing her. I’m just a gentle, easygoing guy who wants a woman to truly love me—spoil me, tolerate my quirks, maybe gift a luxury sports car for my birthday. Not *too* unreasonable, right?
Lost in thought, my eyes caught a massive, irregular Hanbaiyu stone before the gate.
I’d heard of it—a “Zhencai Stone,” meant to anchor wealth for the rich.
Up close, it was covered in handprints: deep ones (5–6 cm), shallow ones (2–3 cm). Probably feng shui stuff. Rich people love this. Just judging the stone’s texture and veining? If Xiao Qingqing said it cost more than me, I wouldn’t doubt it for a second.
Ah… being rich is nice…
The car rolled into the courtyard. The silver-haired man exited, opened Xiao Qingqing’s door with crisp precision, and bowed slightly: “Young miss, we’re home.”
Though aged (70s–80s), his voice was robust, posture rock-steady, silver hair impeccably combed—a butler straight out of anime.
“Mm, thank you, Butler Cheng,” Xiao Qingqing replied with unexpected grace.
Seriously? So polite to the butler—radiating well-bred elegance—yet *so* domineering and scheming toward *me*?!
Just then, the front door swung open. A delicately beautiful little girl rushed out, beaming: “Big sister! You’re back!”
Even though I’m not into lolicon… something in my heart softened.
So. Adorable.
